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Month: January 2014

It’s January and once again time to pepper the windows of Dumfries with contemporary poetry in celebration of Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796).

My poem ‘Endgame’ is in The Globe Inn, which sits in one of the tiny alleys off the High Street.

The River Nith was high and running fast through the town when I visited last week. There was a great deal of evidence of recent flooding in the car parks and streets.

Poems are again on display in the windows of the Coach and Horses Inn, and at the Robert Burns House in (of course) Burns Street.

This year’s pamphlet containing poems from 2013’s contributions is also available for sale in the venues, and at Roncadora Press, http://www.hughbryden.com/

My poem ‘On a Black Mountain’ is in the pamphlet, along with poems by 41 different poets, including Ryan Van Winkle, Tom Pow, Linda Cracknell, Helena Nelson, and Hamish Whyte.

Each year, the locals from the Globe Inn choose one of the poems to be engraved on a windowpane in their pub. Polly Atkin’s ‘Forecast’ was last year’s choice, and is well worth of few moments of your time. You’ll find it on the Facebook site of the project here: https://en-gb.facebook.com/BurnsWindowsProject

I’m off to my friend Vicki Husband’s tonight to raise a glass to the young Ayrshire Lothario. Vicki has a poem in the windows of the Burns House this year. It is titled ‘Nostalgia’ and is mighty fine indeed. You can read it here: http://vickihusband.wordpress.com/

Looking forward to my trip down to London for the launch of the pamphlets and full collection that were published by tall-lighthouse at the end of last year. As you can see above, we’re taking over the Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden for the night.

I’ll be taking the opportunity to visit my brother and his family who live in Clapham. The 400 mile distance between us is too much.